Chapter 78

The next morning, Qi Xu didn’t feel quite as dizzy, but he couldn’t stop throwing up. Even drinking water made him nauseous—he could outdo a fountain.

At this point, IV fluids were basically keeping him alive.

Xie Huai was nowhere to be seen. When Qi Xu woke up, the man was gone. But a blanket on the sofa told him Xie Huai had spent the entire night in the hospital room.

After a nurse came in to change his IV, Chen Wei arrived to stay with him for a while.

As Qi Xu’s personal bodyguard, Chen Wei felt responsible for what had happened. He spoke up first: “Young Master, once you’re discharged, another colleague will be taking over my post. His name is—”

Qi Xu raised a hand, cutting him off. “What? You coming here just to resign? I don’t have the time to train another guy with enough sense to lower the divider at the right moment. Did you get checked out properly?”

Chen Wei thought about how every time he lowered the divider, it was after locking eyes with Young Master Xie in the rearview mirror. Honestly, anyone would’ve lowered it under that kind of look.

“I got checked. Just some soft tissue bruising, nothing serious,” he answered.

Qi Xu nodded. “Send someone to my school to grab my review materials.”

He’d just asked the nurse when he could be discharged. She’d politely said it needed the attending physician’s approval. Later, the doctor came in with a whole team, asked him a bunch of questions, and concluded he needed to stay under observation for another two or three days.

Qi Xu wasn’t stupid—he knew that was Xie Huai’s doing. But he was just lying around anyway, and with exams coming up, he figured he might as well review.

Chen Wei paused for a moment, just now remembering that Qi Xu was, after all, still a student.

“I’ll send someone right away,” he said.

Qi Xu lay back down and asked, “Did you tell Grandpa?”

Chen Wei answered honestly, “Last night, Young Master Xie told me not to report anything to the Old Master.”

Xie Huai clearly knew Qi Xu didn’t want to worry the old man. Since Qi Xu didn’t get the chance to give that instruction himself, Xie Huai had done it for him.

After Chen Wei left to run errands, Qi Xu picked up his phone to check his messages. Overnight, Li Kaixing had blown up his inbox.

Li Kaixing: [Boss, I got home safe.]

Ten minutes later:
Li Kaixing: [??? Please reply if you got this.]

When he got no response, he’d even tried sending a voice message. Qi Xu was probably doing scans at that time, and the phone had been with Xie Huai.

Li Kaixing: [Boss, don’t scare me.]

Thirty minutes later:
Li Kaixing: [Oh my god, turns out you were with the boss’s wife. He said you’ll be busy with finals week, and that we should hold down the fort. So don’t worry, just focus on studying.]

Qi Xu replied:
Qi Xu: [Salary increase and year-end bonus.]

Scrolling further down, Qi Xu saw messages from Li Yan and Feng Zhenjie checking in on him. That morning, they had forms to fill out, so both of them had texted Xie Huai and Qi Xu. After getting a reply from Xie Huai, they learned Qi Xu was sick.

In the end, the two of them filled out the paperwork and submitted it on their behalf. They also asked if Qi Xu’s condition was serious.

Qi Xu kept the details of the accident vague and simply replied that there had been a minor scrape on the road. He assured them he’d be back in time for finals.

Further down the chat list were messages from Shen Zhuohai and Shen Fengkai, which he skipped without even opening.

Later, along with the study materials someone delivered to him, there was also a bowl of pumpkin millet porridge—and, of course, a side of candied fruit.

Qi Xu hadn’t planned to eat anything. Everything he ate, he threw up, so it felt like a waste. But when Chen Wei told him Young Master Xie had asked someone to send it over, he immediately realized it had been made by Xie Huai himself.

Qi Xu didn’t ask where Xie Huai had gone. He picked at the porridge, taking slow, careful bites in between long pauses to avoid throwing up. After eating half, he couldn’t manage another bite and quickly popped a piece of candied fruit in his mouth.

The rest of the time, he lay down when dizzy and looked over review notes when he wasn’t.

Xu Yichen, having heard about the car accident last night, video-called to check in. Qi Xu was mid-dizzy spell, so he propped his phone up on the bedside tray and laid back, waiting for the spinning to pass.

It wasn’t like morning sickness or anything—candied fruit did absolutely nothing. If he was going to throw up, he was going to throw up.

Seeing him like that, Xu Yichen made a couple of dramatic “oh no” sounds and said, “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were pregnant or something.”

Qi Xu glanced at the phone. “If you’ve got time to joke around, go study.”

Judging from the background, Xu Yichen didn’t seem to be in the dorm—it looked more like an office.

Xu Yichen held up a textbook to the camera. “I’m at the office and reviewing for finals. No one works harder than me. Even if I don’t get straight A’s, I at least deserve a participation trophy. If I fail, it’ll be a slap in the face to all my effort.”

Qi Xu didn’t bother to compete. He picked up his review packet and waved it in front of the camera without a word.

Sure enough, Xu Yichen reacted dramatically. “Savage. If you don’t get top marks, who will?”

Truth was, Qi Xu hadn’t really taken in more than a couple sentences, but he modestly replied, “Huai-ge could give me a run for my money.”

At the mention of Xie Huai, a flicker of something passed over Xu Yichen’s expression—just for a second—but Qi Xu caught it.

Xu Yichen didn’t continue that line of conversation and instead joked around to change the subject. It worked—Qi Xu’s attention was quickly redirected.

A few minutes later, Jiang Zimu and Fang Qian joined the group video chat. Apparently, the three of them had some sort of mission—like putting on a sketch comedy show. They had Qi Xu laughing and gagging at the same time.

Eventually, Fang Qian, seeing how pitiful he looked, cut the antics and switched to a normal conversation.

“When are you getting discharged? We’ll come pick you up.”

Qi Xu replied, “Ask Huai-ge when he plans to release me.”

Fang Qian: “…”

That sounded like he was being held hostage.

Jiang Zimu seemed to forget their “mission” and blurted out, “Huai-ge went to Qin’s this morning—”

Only to be promptly cut off by Xu Yichen: “So, what are everyone’s plans for winter break?”

As Xu Yichen said this, he shot a glare at Jiang Zimu—the big goof.

Jiang Zimu chuckled awkwardly. “I’m planning to do some painting over break. Anyone interested?”

Silence. No one replied. No one was interested.

But hey, as long as he didn’t feel awkward, the awkwardness was someone else’s problem.

Fang Qian chimed in with her own winter break plans: “Let’s go skiing together!”

The group chat buzzed with excitement again, but Qi Xu, whether from the dizziness or something else, remained mostly quiet.

Even after the call ended, his mood still hadn’t picked up.

Around noon, someone brought lunch to Qi Xu. He ate even less than at breakfast. He barely touched the sweet and sour ribs—his favorite dish.

The person delivering the food hesitated like they wanted to say something, but in the end left without a word.

Qi Xu had thought no one but Xie Huai would show up at this hospital room.

But that afternoon, the first visitor was someone he hadn’t expected at all.

Qin Yue—Xie Huai’s uncle.

Qi Xu heard movement at the door. A private bodyguard opened it, and the moment Qin Yue stepped in, he locked eyes with Qi Xu. He opened his mouth to greet him—only for Qi Xu to suddenly start throwing up again.

Qin Yue panicked and immediately called for the doctor. Chaos broke out in the room, until Qi Xu stopped the overreaction himself.

After the doctor left, Qin Yue sat down in the chair beside the bed. Once he was sure Qi Xu was okay, he joked, “I thought maybe the sight of me made you sick. Am I really that ugly?”

Qi Xu still had the energy to shoot back, “Uncle Qin is handsome and suave, every inch a gentleman. Ugly’s got nothing to do with you.”

Qin Yue didn’t react for a second, then two seconds later it hit him. Surprise lit up his face—Qi Xu had just called him Uncle Qin?

He’d accepted him?

Wait… Something wasn’t right. If this was out of the ordinary, it must mean Qi Xu had guessed why he was here.

Qin Yue chuckled. Anyone who could handle his complicated nephew must be extraordinary. These two were both too clever for their own good.

“Well, just for calling me ‘Uncle,’ I’m all in for your side. No questions asked.”

That line confirmed Qi Xu’s guess—Xie Huai had gone to the Qin family, and his visit had stirred up the two elders.

“…Is he okay?” Qi Xu asked.

Qin Yue replied, “He’s under house arrest by my parents. They took his phone. If he hasn’t messaged you back, don’t worry. He’ll probably be grounded for about a day. My folks are softhearted—they won’t keep him locked up for long.”

That was exactly why Qi Xu hadn’t texted Xie Huai. Under normal circumstances, Huai wouldn’t just disappear—not without sending even a single message.

And when he hadn’t called, even after seeing that Qi Xu hadn’t touched the sweet and sour ribs… after Qi Xu had already thrown up multiple times… it could only mean one thing:

Xie Huai’s freedom had been restricted.

“Was he hurt?”

Qin Yue paused. “He was kneeling and got whacked a few times by my dad’s cane. Almost got hit by both of them at once. Luckily my mom doesn’t use a cane, or he’d be black and blue.”

Honestly, the only reason it hadn’t turned into a full-blown bloodbath was because he had been there.

He continued, “Old Man Xie was there too. He asked my parents to get involved and make a deal with Huai—force him to choose between you and the expectations of the Xie and Qin families.”

Qi Xu closed his eyes. When he opened them again, there was a wet sheen in them. “You shouldn’t treat him like that.”

Qin Yue’s gaze turned complicated. “Ah Huai was raised by both families, with all the resources and expectations we could give. Neither family will let you become a stain on his record. They’ll do everything they can to force him back onto what they consider ‘the right path’—a future full of promise, prestige, and success.”

In the world of elite families, no one really had a choice. Even if you broke free from the shackles, you’d end up half-dead, only to be dragged back, patched up, and put on display again—looking polished on the outside, but completely rotten within.

To the elders of both families, what Xie Huai was doing now was nothing more than a delayed rebellion.

And they had their ways of dealing with rebellious kids.

First, they let you taste what you wanted. Then they took it away. In the end, they’d negotiate—but always in a way that guaranteed you’d lose.

No matter how much you struggled, the ending was already written: failure.

That applied to him too.

Qi Xu knew the elders of the Qin family cared deeply for Xie Huai. They wouldn’t go too far—not to the point of real harm. If they did hit him, it would’ve been out of frustration, disappointment, and a twisted sense of love.

“…Was the reason Grandpa Xie was hospitalized a while back because of us?”

Qin Yue gave a grunt in response. “That stubborn brat said straight to the old man’s face that he couldn’t live without you. Nearly sent the old guy to the hospital with anger.”

Qi Xu understood immediately. No wonder his grandfather hadn’t mentioned having tea with Grandpa Xie lately.

The two elders had grown distant because of him and Xie Huai. Decades of friendship put on pause because of their grandchildren.

Qi Xu didn’t believe the friendship was truly over. Once he and Xie Huai figured themselves out, the old men would patch things up too.

It was all in their hands now.

For the first time, Qi Xu didn’t want that kind of power.

Qin Yue had come to confirm just how deep things ran between the two boys.

“Would you ever leave Ah Huai?”

Qi Xu gripped the sandalwood prayer beads in his palm, feeling the weight and texture press into his skin. His calm heartbeat gradually sped up.

His voice was steady but resolute. “No. We’re not breaking up.”